The Union and Get Hip Records treated Athens to a perplexingly common pleasure Tuesday night: Scandinavian garage rock.
The Mainliners hail from Sweden, the land that produced similarly raw bands such as the Hives and the Sahara Hotnights. But judging from their raunchy riff rock, the quintet would fit snugly into The Union's regular rotation.
After a confident set of crunching retro rock from Athens' the Usual, the Mainliners took the stage. Dressed in standard indie rock attire -a tight T-shirt here, an ironic military jacket there -the band launched into selections from its debut album Bring On the Sweetlife
released last week on Get Hip.
Four days into its first trip to the United States, the band seemed right at home. Singer Robert Billings roamed the stage with a commanding presence and plenty of hip-shaking, while the band provided a solid backdrop for his exploits.
The Rolling Stones' influence was evident, but this was not one of those lame tribute bands that keep touring through Athens. The Mainliners have an identity of their own, combining British Invasion riffs and melodies with the raw power of the Stooges and MC5.
The set had a few common threads: delirious howling from Billings, interlocking melodies and rhythms from the guitar duo and unfaltering energy from all involved. But rather than tedious repetition, the Mainliners' songs exhibited a consistent style with enough variation to surprise and delight. 17
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Chris Deville
